The Harem
by A Way With Words
Summary: Hermione Granger has not been heard from for nearly a year.  Draco enters a random club and believes he's found her. Trouble is, she's not as he remembers.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Last I checked, I was unfortunately not JK Rowling**

Draco stepped into the exotic room and his senses were immediately bombarded. Incense was swirling in misty clouds as his eyes scanned the room. The luxurious cushions placed around and the placated men lounging on them, the colourful scarves draped across the ceiling and over the doors and windows. The room exuded opulence and indulgence.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Draco thought as he kept his face neutral. He was still surprised at the antics of his comrades. He had been convinced by his mate to come to this "reputable establishment" but knowing his friend he wasn't convinced of the reputable status.

Draco was led by a gorgeous woman to a cushion and gently pushed into a sitting position. His eyes were level with her womanhood which was clad in purple scarves and harem pants. Her bare belly was glittering and led to her beaded bra.

"Draco, you've arrived just in time! The show is just about to start." Zabini grinned lecherously at him around scantily clad woman on his lap. She was dressed as an Arabian harem member. The already dim lighting dimmed even more as Zabini leaned over and said in a low voice, "I know strippers aren't your thing, but mate, its your 21st birthday. You have to live a little." Zabini pinched the woman's bottom and she squealed and squirmed in his lap. "Although, technically these women aren't strippers. They're classier than that."

Draco rolled his eyes at his friend and continued to peer around the room in the semi-darkness. The only light was coming from behind a scarf at the front of the room where he could just make out the silhouettes of people striking various poses. Compared to some of the dives that Blaise frequented, this one was rather upscale. Arabian music began to filter through the air and the silhouettes began an entrancing series of movements as the scarf was pulled back to reveal several women dressed as Arabian belly dancers. Their bodies started flowing with the music. Hips shaking, shoulders shimmying. The ancient art of belly dance came alive with their movements. The women moved about the room and teased the patrons with scarves and erotic dance moves.

Draco appreciated the talent of the dancers, yet was unimpressed with them as sex symbols. A thin woman placed her scarf around Draco's neck and enticingly shimmied her breasts in near his face. He could make out individual beads on her bra when he focused more on the bra than the breasts nearly spilling from it. Sensing that she was not Draco's type, she slid the scarf sensually from his neck and moved on to find a willing patron.

Colours and women floated around him as the drums and flutes played their Arabian music. Everything seemed to be building to a crescendo when the women congregated in the centre of the room and froze on the final beat of a drum. There was utter darkness and silence for a few tense heartbeats. Draco could hear the panting of the aroused men in the room and sneered in disdain.

"You'd think they were dogs." Draco thought to himself.

Suddenly, Draco heard a drumbeat and felt it rumble through his core. Light gradually returned to illuminate a single figure at the front of the room. This was obviously the primary dancer in the show. She had her back to the audience with her arms raised above her head with the backs of her wrists touching. With every steady drumbeat, her head slid from side to side, her hips moving in the opposite direction. There was something enticing about this woman that wasn't present with the earlier dancers. This woman had curves, and lovely ones at that. She was obviously celebrated her curves as well. Draco sat enjoying the sway of the graceful bum before him.

When the woman turned around her face was hidden by a thin red scarf. Only her eyes showed and the mystery added to the dancer's allure. She was more conservatively dressed than the others. This woman wore a skirt that had slits up the sides and only offered tantalizing views of her leg when she chose to allow it. Her beaded bra enclosed beautiful, full breasts. Draco felt his mouth become dry, his palms began to get clammy, and his trousers became noticeably tighter. He would have felt ashamed if he wasn't so entranced by this woman's movements.

She moved like water, her body flowed gracefully with the music that assailed his senses. She moved around the room and never seemed to stand still. Her hips moved with a mind of their own as her arms glided elegantly. The speed of the music was increasing and she was twirling in a flurry of red and gold scarves. When she stopped, her veil had been removed and she struck her final pose with her chest heaving. Wolf whistles and catcalls rang out through the room and the dancer's smile was shy and seductive at the same time. The men went wild as Draco sat dumbstruck by his arousal, as well as another fact.

The smile of the woman in front of him was heartbreakingly familiar. It was a smile that no one in the wizarding world had seen for nearly a year. It was the smile of Hermione Granger.

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Hermione glanced around the room as she caught her breath from her previous routine. There were some members who frequented the club that she recognized and those from whom she had declined offers of sex. She was a dancer, not a prostitute. As she sensually lowered her arms and prepared for her retreat she sensed the other girls of the club going to mingle with the patrons. She always preferred returning to the dressing room to change before mingling so that she wouldn't be recognized as the final dancer. Men seemed to assume that a sensual dance meant that she was willing to put out, either for money or pleasure. She much preferred when they didn't know.

She felt a particularly intense stare as she made her way to the exit and slowly turned to see if she could catch a glimpse of the eyes to which the stare belonged. When she was greeted with the cool gaze of Draco Malfoy, her heart began to race. She scurried to the exit and to the dressing room to quickly change before he could recognize her.

She ran to the room, tearing at the clothes that would identify her. She replaced them with the general ones that the girls wore and fixed her hair underneath a scarf. Hopefully that would sufficiently disguise her. She desperately needed Malfoy to leave this place.

As she made her way to return to the floor, she heard the footsteps with an unknown owner. She slunk to the shadows and prayed that they would pass without seeing her.

"I swear mate, that dancer was Granger." Dammit if the voice didn't belong to Draco Malfoy.

"Granger? Are you cracked Draco? Granger hasn't been seen or heard from in months. What makes you think that she would be a dancer at an establishment like this? We both know she wouldn't waste her intelligence here. Let's get out of here before the owner comes. I prefer my face arranged the way it is thanks."

Hermione held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the ostrich tactic would work. As she heard the footsteps return from whence they came, she knew that she would have to be careful out on the floor tonight. She hurried back to the incense filled room and slipped in among the mingling patrons. As she chatted amicably with a dashing young man, she kept her eye on Malfoy who was straining his neck and ignoring the woman on his lap. He was obviously looking for someone.

"Me," thought Hermione. She hadn't contacted anyone in the wizarding world since the press fiasco had destroyed her relationship with Ron. She had "gone Muggle" and given up her magic so that she couldn't be traced. She did, however, stay in London. The city had seven and a half million people in it. Without the magic to trace, no wizard would be able to find her if she refused to be found. Ni wizard in his right mind knew how to track someone the Muggle way. Except somehow Malfoy and Zabini had wandered into her very workplace. The odds of that were alarmingly against her.

The young man was becoming a nuisance and insistent that he could show her a good time. While she didn't doubt that he could, she gracefully declined and searched for the club's owner. She spied Dan in the corner, watching silently to ensure that his employees remained safe. She sauntered across the floor dodging the cushions on the ground and the people occupying them. Dan noticed her and smiled slightly, unwilling to shed his poker face.

"Dan, you know you love me right?" she asked coyly, knowing all the while that her "feminine charm" didn't affect Dan.

"Of course I do sweetheart. But only when you need something, am I right?" Dan was willing to do anything to keep his best dancer happy.

"Can I take off early tonight? The clientele tonight are easily occupied with the girls, and you know that this is the part of the night that I hate."

Dan pretended to consider this heavily. He heaved a sigh and said, "I suppose." Hermione grinned and leaned up to kiss his stubbly cheek. "But don't get used to it. I can't have you skipping out every night."

"Dan, when have I ever been late? Have I ever let you down? You know me." She batted her eyelashes at him as she walked away.

It was because of this action that she trod on someone's foot as she collided with something solid. Whipping her head around she noticed that she had run into Zabini. She played the part that she played so well working here.

"Why hello there. Have you found your paradise tonight sir?" she asked silkily. Although she nearly gagged on the words, it was her job to ensure that all patrons were enjoying themselves. She also knew that she had to escape quickly before Malfoy joined his friend.

"Well love, I can assure you that I'd be sure to find it with you by my side." Zabini replied through lowered lashes. Hermione placed her hand on his cheek.

"I'm sure you would. But that is only an illusion." She quickly sidestepped him and tried to make her way towards the exit.

Zabini put his hand on her shoulder, and though she tensed, she had to remind herself not to do anything else. "Do you know where I can find that dancer from earlier?"

Knowing full well who he was asking about, Hermione replied, "Which dancer sir? There were quite a few."

"The final one. My mate is particularly interested in getting to know her."

"You can rest assured that she doesn't engage in that type of activity." Zabini stared at her uncomprehendingly until he realised that he made it sound like Malfoy was looking for a prostitute.

"Oh no! Not for that, although I'm sure that he's interested, I mean she is gorgeous…" Zabini fumbled his words charmingly as his cool façade became flustered. "I meant that she looked familiar and we wanted to catch up with an old friend. Could you maybe tell us her name?" Zabini began speaking in the plural as Malfoy came up behind Hermione and stood beside her.

"Yes, a name would be fantastic. Would you please help us out?" Malfoy asked suavely, exuding charm. Luckily Hermione was ready for that sort of attack and was unsusceptible to it.

"I'm sorry, but the names here are confidential for privacy reasons. All I can tell you is that we call her Apinaya. Now if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I have a prior engagement." Hermione hurried as quickly as possible away from the two Slytherins in hopes that they would drop the subject.

There were many things that Hermione wanted in her life, and being found was _not_ one of them.

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**AN: I do hope you liked this so far. Review with your thoughts if you'd like : )**

**Until next time...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I am not, nor ever will be, JK Rowling. Unfortunately.**

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The next morning found Draco pacing his flat in an irritated fashion. After the club last night, his mind was consumed with thoughts of Granger, as well as the mystery dancer Apinaya. While he wasn't impressed with his thoughts, he would he hailed as a hero for finding her. He had looked up the dancer's name in a book once he had returned home the previous night. Apinaya meant "expressions in dance" in Hindi. It was certainly an appropriate name because that dancer expressed more sensuality than he had experienced in a while. Even thinking about her gyrating hips and graceful hands had cock stirring.

He was finding it difficult to think of the dancer as Granger. He never was attracted to her in any way, even as she had matured into a woman. He knew from last night that she was beautiful, curvier than the typical woman, and sensual as hell. But he also knew that she was an annoying, bossy, and omniscient witch who could make anyone feel inferior just by opening her mouth to spew some of her knowledge. He had experienced it firsthand many times throughout his childhood, and even after the Final War. The haughty Granger was most definitely not the same personality as Apinaya. However, she was the same person.

Cursing and scheming, Draco Flooed to Blaise's flat.

"Blaise!" he barked. Silence answered him as his call echoed around the flat. Draco stalked towards the bedroom, planning on forcibly removing Blaise from his bed. However, when he entered the room he was greeted with two bare asses entangled on the bed.

"So he brought the bird home last night." He retreated from the room and returned to his flat.

Draco soon decided that pacing was not going to offer enlightenment on the Granger mystery. He just knew that she was the dancer, he simply had to prove it. He stripped as he prepared for a shower in order to get ready for the task before him. And to waste time. As the suds rinsed from his body down the drain, he knew how he was going to approach this problem.

Draco Malfoy was going to solve this puzzle.

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Going to a club in the daylight was not nearly as enticing as it was in the dark, as Draco soon discovered. Some of the mystique was lost with the stench of vomit and urine on the street where pubs and clubs abounded. The hole-in-the-wall that was the club from last night was less vomit covered than most on that strip of road which Draco found to be most pleasing. However, as he attempted to enter the building his mood deteriorated. The damn door was locked! Logically Draco knew that this was probably a possibility considering the hours of the club, but he was still irritated.

As Draco drew his wand from his sleeve he glanced around to make sure that no Muggles were near enough to see what he was doing. Since it was a Muggle establishment Draco used the most simple lock spell that he knew.

"Alohamora," he whispered while tapping the handle. Smirking with a superior attitude he grabbed the door and prepared to enter. If a wizard could break into a Muggle building with such a simple spell, how could they not be superior? His smirk slipped from his face when he rattled the handle. It wouldn't budge! Draco tried the spell again, without result. Mentally rolling up his sleeves, he prepared to do battle with the door.

"Blast! Alright you effing piece of shite let's have a go." Draco tried every unlocking spell that he knew with no avail. He could see the steam rising form the handle after being hit with so many spells and it still would not open. Luckily the street was deserted or else he'd have had to explain why he was fidgeting over a door handle.

Panting slightly, Draco took a step back inspected the building again, eyeing it suspiciously. If anything, the fact that the door wouldn't relinquish its hold on the door jamb was more than enough proof that Granger did, in fact, have something to do with this joint. She was the only one he knew that could best him in magic, much to his and his father's chagrin. As Draco stared at the brick wall in front of him, he tried to place the pieces of this puzzle together.

How could Granger have placed the charms on the door without the Trace on her wand notifying the Ministry? Hermione was a hero and when she had disappeared there was a state of emergency. She was the most targeted player in the war, after Potter, due to her muggle-born status. The Ministry was afraid that she had been captured by the few remaining Death Eaters. After a few weeks the hunt had wound down because it was noticed that her flat had been cleared out of its things and all of her accounts at Gringotts closed. Even to the Ministry it was clear that she had run away. It was widely assumed that she simply wanted a break after the terror that was the war. Although when she didn't return within a few months, the hype died down. However, they kept the Trace, just in case.

Draco contemplated the magic so obviously placed on the door. There could be more magical people involved at the club, Granger could have either done wandless magic or purchased a new wand, or Draco was simply incompetent. With a snort Draco dismissed the last theory, knowing arrogantly that it wasn't a possibility. He stared at the door some more and his heart suddenly stuttered when it suddenly opened to reveal a burly man.

"Bugger off arsehole, the club's closed." His stockiness slightly intimidated Draco, although he would never admit it. Squaring his shoulders, Draco assumed his aristocratic air.

"I realize that this is an unusual hour to be at this, er, fine establishment, but I was wondering if I could speak with an old friend." Draco's charm wasn't as effective on the stout man as it was on women.

"If you're randy, find a whorehouse. The girls aren't seeing anybody right now."

"As um, satisfying, as I'm sure your girls are, I'm not here for that. I can attract plenty I assure you. I really would just like to speak to my friend."

"What's your name?"

"Draco Malfoy." The name that usually demanded respect had no effect on the bloody Muggle.

The man blocking the door called over his shoulder to an unknown audience. "Anybody here know a Drago Malfee?"

"Its Draco Malfoy you idiot."

The door blocker's head swung around to glare at Draco as a chorus of no's echoed from the depths of the club.

"Sorry chap, no one here wants to see you. Now piss off." The door slammed and left a fuming Draco on the sidewalk.

With his anger surfacing, Draco Apparated home and plotted his next move.

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**AN: Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated, even if its just to let me know what you think : )**

**Until next time…**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N : Its been a while! Sorry about the wait, school takes precedence unfortunately, but now that we're all here…

**Disclaimer: Checked again, my bank accounts tell me that I'm still not JKR**

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Hermione looked blankly to Dan, who had just asked her a question.

"How did you know that someone was at the door, pet? You can't hear it from in here, and I sure didn't hear him from the front desk."

"Just a feeling Dan," she lied blithely. Her security wards were ringing with the force of Big Ben in her head and had caused her to botch up her rehearsal for that night. Although she had gone Muggle for the most part, there were a few aspects of her magical life that she kept. Security wards were one of them. She sat with the ice pack on her twisted ankle as she blamed Malfoy for yet another injury. Buggering hell, why couldn't he just go away?

"How did you say you know the prat?" Dan asked as he cleaned glasses at the drink counter.

"I didn't." she said flatly, focusing on her ankle. Feeling the heat of Dan's disapproving gaze, she gave in to his curiosity and told him as little as possible. "We were in the same year at school. He was privileged, I was not. But I was a smart and successful student, and his money couldn't buy enough intelligence to best me. And he was ruthless because of it." Hermione hadn't spoken of her school years in quite a long time, partly because she had no one who would understand it, and partly because she didn't wish to. She wished to move on.

"Ruthless to a girl like you? Bah, he didn't know what he was missing sweetheart." Dan said with a grin. Hermione matched his grin, catching the irony in Dan's voice. He was of the belief that she could be gorgeous if she chose to be. Hermione had found that being gorgeous led to difficulties that she didn't have the patience to face, so she settled for passable. The only time she chose to be gorgeous was here at work and only because beautiful dancers had a tendency to make more tips.

Placing the ice pack down and making her way towards the group of dancers, she smiled at Dan's comment. If only he knew why she preferred mediocrity he wouldn't think her a lost cause. Mediocrity was a way to blend in and go unnoticed. Mediocrity was how one survived. Mediocrity for Hermione Granger was unpredictable. It was how she had managed to outsmart her friends as well as other members of her magically inclined society. When she happened to encounter other Muggleborns walking through London, she was able to pass by unnoticed because she was just another face in the crowd. "Apparently," she thought to herself, "I am also an accomplished actor."

Hermione's attention waned during her rehearsal. Similar to everything else that she did, she had mastered her routine perfectly within a short period of time which allowed her mind to wander. Although Malfoy's appearance at her workplace today was to be expected, she was still reeling. He knew where she was, and she knew that he was not going to leave her be until she had answered his questions.

Damn it all to hell. Hermione was not ready to re-enter the magical world. She was wounded in the war, not only physically but in every other way possible. She was never allowed to be weak. She was relied upon for knowledge, for safety, and everything else that her best friends had required of her. She wouldn't allow herself to be weak when her counterparts needed a pillar of strength. However, doing so had left a mark unlike any other scar that she had.

Vaguely aware that the rehearsal had ended, Hermione grabbed her jumper, handbag, and water bottle and headed for the door. In true British fashion, the sky had opened to release its fury in the form of rain. Opening her useless umbrella, Hermione continued her journey along the road to the Tube station. Puddles splashed around her graceful feet, the wind whipped her hair about in a flurry of reckless curls and the fresh air cleared both her mind and her lungs. The stifling thoughts of the afternoon became more distant with every breath of cold air that filled her chest. Perhaps her yoga classes were finally helping her to relax.

As Hermione rounded a corner, the wind suddenly caught her umbrella and began to blow it around and the concentration of keeping the umbrella in her hand made Hermione bump into an on-coming pedestrian.

Flustered, Hermione apologized profusely. "Oh my, I'm so sorry. The wind just caught my umbrella and turned it into a weapon, I really didn't mean to hit you," she babbled.

"Its alright, really." came the reply in a deep voice that shocked Hermione to the core.

She lifted a hand to brush away the stray curls from her eyes and before her stood Malfoy with a look on his face that reflected a mixture of arrogance and surprise

"Oh. Bugger." Was the only thought that ran through Hermione's intelligent head.

"Right, well, then I'll just be going." Hermione grabbed hold of her umbrella, took a shuddering breath and brushed past her childhood acquaintance; all the while she was praying to whichever gods would listen that Malfoy would not recognize her.

Unfortunately the gods didn't seem to be very forgiving today.

"Granger, I know its you. You can quit your act of ignorance and behave like the mature adult you should be." Malfoy's words left Hermione bristling with contempt. How he managed to rile her up with a sentence baffled her.

Without turning to face him, Hermione said, "You have no idea who I am, Malfoy, so your order to act a certain way has no relevance to me whatsoever." Clutching the umbrella like a lifeline she continued to walk away from Malfoy, however the footsteps that she could hear behind her told her that despite her best efforts she was not distancing herself from her childhood nemesis.

The pair continued walking in silence with Hermione in the lead and Malfoy following a few paces behind her. The rhythmic sound of traffic was contributing background music to the pair's silent battle of wills. Hermione was unwilling to acknowledge Draco and Draco was unwilling to openly confront the clever witch before him. Sooner or later the silence would have to be broken. However both knew that once it was, it would change the way of life that they had become accustomed to in recent years.

**Thank you to the reviewers who have left comments, your support is wonderful ****Please let me know how I'm doing**

**Until next time…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wishful thinking doesn't change the fact that I'm not JKR. Sorry for the slow update, this time technology was to blame.**

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Hermione continued on her route home, despite the seemingly thunderous footsteps behind her. She walked with a calm and steady gait, however her mind was racing. If she went home Malfoy would then know exactly where she lived. This would be a gross invasion of the single space in her life that was her haven, her safe place. However she was at a loss as to how to outrun the arrogant blonde that was following her. The grey sky seemed like a reflection of Hermione's impending fate.

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Draco watched the polka dotted umbrella before him and wondered what the body attached to it was going to do. If she was still as calculating as she was in their school days, and especially during the war, he knew that situations and solutions were running through her head at a rapid pace. He was simultaneously calculating his options as well.

What exactly did he mean to do with his new-found knowledge of the reclusive and mysterious Hermione Granger? As his feet hit the sidewalk and the rain continued to fall he considered some ideas. He could sell the information to the press for an ungodly sum. That benefitted the most important member of this equation: himself. However that would cause him to have to endure countless hours of questioning as well as having Hermione Granger the focus of everyone's attention yet again. He could tell her friends. They could do what they wished with the information and he would never have to deal with the problem again. However that would pique his insatiable curiosity and cause him to forever wonder what had become of her. He could do nothing. However that would leave him in the same position as telling her friends. He could continue to frequent her workplace to keep tabs on her. That would involve her in his life with benefit to his libido. What to do with this curious conundrum?

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Hermione had come to her decision. Today was _not_ going to be the day that Draco Malfoy invaded her home. She had noticed that the streets were becoming busier as lunch hour approached and intended to use that fact to her advantage. She spotted an entrance to the Tube station. If she timed her escape appropriately she could lose the tall man who was trailing her. She feigned innocence as she descended the stairs into the station. She quickly snapped her umbrella closed, hid it in her jacket, twisted her hair up into her hood and dropped her money into the turnstile. People milled about and provided the perfect escape route. Assuming that Malfoy had Muggle money, Hermione made herself as invisible as possible and ran to the nearest train. Hermione breathlessly gave apologies as she elbowed her way through the crowd.

She saw the train waiting patiently on the platform and twisted to see if Malfoy was able to follow her and she immediately spotted his platinum hair and the scowl on his face. He was not pleased with her sudden desire to avoid him. She turned and continued running toward her goal.

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Draco knew that there would be trouble the minute he followed her down the steps to the Underground and noticed the crowd. Blast, she was going to try to lose him. The polka dots disappeared and her bushy hair was hidden under her hood as he spotted her pushing through the turnstile. Cheeky little chit she was. He kept his eyes trained on Granger's camel coloured jacket as he fished the few Muggle coins he had from his pockets as he had seen the other people do, yet was at a loss once it was his turn to pass through.

"Hurry up!" A disgruntled man behind Draco shouldered by him, dropped something in a slot and rushed through the gate. Draco took his cue from this man and dropped his coin in the slot, hoping to high heaven that it would work. He was leaning against the turnstile when it suddenly moved and threw him stumbling forward like a fool. Draco urged his humiliated body into a jog to catch up with the wily Hermione Granger. He searched the crowd, his own head higher than most, when he spotted her face searching the crowd for him. Setting his features into a scowl, he pushed through the thick queue and saw her pass through the doors of the train.

Picking up his pace, Draco followed her through the doors and noticed that she was frantically pushing through the train's patrons. He followed her when suddenly she slid through the doors and back on the platform. His last view of Granger was her blowing him kisses from her spot on the platform while the train he was on rolled away.

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Hermione knew that he would follow her onto the train. She also knew that there were multiple doors on any car and all she needed to time it properly was a little luck. She knew how to rely on her body instead of her magic, both from being raised Muggle and her recent choice to live as one. Malfoy relied too heavily on his magic to properly put in the physical effort it would have taken to catch her. Weaving easily through the crowded train car Hermione waited until she heard the indication of closing doors and quickly slid through them, leaving Malfoy trapped on the inside.

Hermione cheekily blew Malfoy kisses and relished in her triumph. That was, until Malfoy's face changed and he conveyed to her through his eyes and body language what he wanted her to know.

He knew where she worked. She may have evaded him this time, yet he knew where to find her.

At least next time she would be prepared. With any luck she would be able to continue living her private, Muggle lifestyle for at least a little while longer.

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**Did you enjoy the chase? Kindly review :)**

**Until next time…**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well, my birth certificate definitely does not say JKR. How unfortunate. Very sorry for the delay everyone, for some reason the site wouldn't let me post!  
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As the subway moved away from the platform and Granger disappeared into the distance, Draco found himself in a predicament that he never would have imagined himself in. He couldn't Apparate directly out of the tube, he'd be slapped with an Exposure charge faster than he could say "Merlin's balls." He would have to wait until it stopped and find a remote area from which to Apparate.

Draco glanced sceptically at the clean looking seat behind him. Although it didn't _look_ befouled in any way, it was a receptacle of many Muggle arses. His gaze slid to the large man sitting beside the empty seat. He was noisily munching on a packet of something whose scent assailed Draco's nostrils from where he stood. Draco's aristocratic nose wrinkled. Draco then quickly decided that it was in his best interest to remain standing. His noble heritage didn't mean a thing to these people. He wasn't sure if they would even recognize a gentleman of culture such as himself. Successfully renewed in his belief of superiority, Draco assessed his neighbours. He was squeezed between a girl with pink spiky hair and a man in a tie whose thumbs were furiously tapping at a small little black rectangle. Surreptitiously, Draco pulled his hand into his sleeve in order to hold onto the bar. As the car rocked back and forth rhythmically Draco began his musing.

He had been bested by Granger. Again. _Still_. After so long one would think that he would be able to pull one over on her at least once. However, Draco was able to reason that her first-hand knowledge of the Muggle world gave her an upper hand. Yet a small voice in the back recesses of his mind then reasoned that by that logic _he_ should have been able to beat her in the wizarding world. His world. His thoughts were interrupted by an incessant noise erupting from the little black thing that the man in the tie was holding. The thing was making a god awful noise every few seconds, after which the man's thumbs would furiously move over it for a few seconds. How terribly annoying.

Draco sincerely wanted to tell the man to stop it, but a look around proved that the majority of the people were attached to something similar. The Muggles hardly even looked at one another. They were all so detached from their surroundings; they were completely alone in a crowd of people. Draco couldn't remember that happening to himself in his life. He didn't know it was possible. It was no wonder why Muggles seemed so incurably messed up.

Finally after an eternity, the train car pulled into the platform and Draco hurried to the door as fast as possible. The small, enclosed space was becoming entirely too claustrophobic. Rushing through the turnstile, which he now knew how to use, Draco ascended the stairs and was out in the open air. Cool, fresh, damp air filled his lungs as he trotted to an alleyway and Disapparated to his flat.

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Hermione counted herself as lucky that she was able to lose Malfoy. She glanced up at the stormy sky and sent up thankful thoughts on the off chance that any being was listening. The clouds showed no interest in her input, so Hermione's gaze returned to her path through the winding streets.

As Hermione rounded a corner her brick apartment building came into view. She smiled at the thought of a warm bath to soothe her aching muscles. She was mentally gathering what she would need as she disarmed the wards, unlocked her door and entered her flat. The homey serenity was always welcoming after an afternoon of rehearsing at the club. It was such a contrast from the exotic atmosphere there which was exactly what Hermione wanted. Her home was her place to be herself and not the actress that everyone knew.

Hermione sidestepped her couch and continued to her bathroom while grabbing a towel from the closet. She had a few hours before work, and she planned to enjoy them.

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The incense wafted around the room adding a sensual lethargy to the atmosphere. Draco found himself lounging atop a pouffe inside the exotically scented, dimly-lit room. There were dancers milling around the room in their seductive costumes interacting with the patrons of the club, their tinkling laughter floating through the air. Yet Draco was still fuming from his last encounter with Granger and unable to properly enjoy the ladies' attentions. His scowl seemed to be turning their interest elsewhere. As one of the club's ladies passed, Draco waved her over to the spot beside him.

"Can I help you sir?" the beauty asked silkily as she contorted her body into a position that was meant to attract Draco's attention to her breasts and bottom.

"I was wondering when Apinaya would be dancing tonight. She is dancing, isn't she?" The woman glanced haughtily at him as though his interest in Granger was a personal insult to her beauty.

She testily replied, "She's due on in a few moments. But she doesn't provide entertainment of the same... caliber as I." She leaned over Draco as if to provide a taste of her caliber of entertainment. It was with this woman's cleavage in his face that the lights further dimmed and the music began.

"While I'm sure that you're very talented at what you do, there is only one person here tonight that I am particularly interested in. Thank you." Draco placed his hand on the woman's hip and gently shoved her away from him in order to clear his view of the stage. Insulted, she huffed and stalked off to another unsuspecting bloke in the corner.

Draco turned his attention to the stage where a woman clad in loose pants fitted at the ankle and a bejeweled bra was beginning to subtly sway her hips. Draco marveled at how such a loose pair of pants could produce such lust. He was as of yet reluctant to admit that he was a part of the group of lusting men.

The chimes sewn to her pants chimed and the bells around her ankles jingled as she thrust her hip to the side and bounced her foot on the floor. Her upper body seemed to move of its own volition as the beat of the drums got stronger and faster. With her arms weaving gracefully above her head, her breasts were thrust into attention. They began to shimmy and the jewels on the top sparkled and shone in the light. Apinaya's hips began to undulate and her tempo increased as she elegantly moved around the room. She smirked seductively as the men she passed subtly leaned towards her and her beautiful, curvy body.

Draco was minutely disappointed when she passed by his pouffe in a whiff of floral fragrance and danced her way over to the men on his other side. They strained in their seats to be closer to her sensual dance like moths to a flame. Her belly moved and flowed to the changing music and the lights flickered. Draco was entranced by her belly button as she suddenly drew nearer to him. His eyes slid up her torso, past her voluptuous breasts and into her eyes. He recognized a challenge in her deep brown eyes as she whipped a silk scarf from her scantily clad chest.

Draco's breath caught in his throat as his pants tightened painfully. Apinaya playfully dragged the scarf over his shoulders and down his chest. Her body remained in constant motion, enticingly swaying and shaking in an enchanting display of raw sexuality. With his spine ram-rod straight, as well as other parts of his anatomy, Draco endured the ministrations of the beautiful woman before him with pleasured gasps and grunts. Unable to distinguish Apinaya from Granger, Draco reveled in the sensation of the silky scarf on his skin, her subtle fragrance of flowers that contrasted the exotic scents mingling in the air, and the frissons of pleasure that were radiating from his groin. Apinaya pressed her breasts close to him and Draco noticed a look of defiance and seduction in her eyes. His penis twitched against his pants. He groaned as the scarf gently, and all too soon, slid away from his body.

Apinaya slowly returned to the stage. Her arms flowed around her as the scarf waved through the air. Her chimes jingled musically in time to her rotating hips and her body swayed in an unmistakably carnal fashion. She twirled the scarf about her body and struck a pose that left her heaving chest and sensuous eyes the centres of attention. The music stopped suddenly as the lights went out.

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**A/N: Thanks again for reading, feel free to review **** I hope you enjoyed Draco's 'lil dance.**


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